Different types of pedestrian crossings

• A pelican crossing is a crossing on a road controlled by a sequence of lights arranged to allow pedestrians to cross the road in safety.
• A puffin crossing is a crossing on a road controlled by a sequence of lights arranged to allow pedestrians to cross the road in safety. A puffin crossing is arranged so it responds to a pedestrian using the crossing.
• A toucan crossing is a crossing on a road controlled by a sequence of lights arranged to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the road in safety.
• Traffic signals control road junctions with a sequence of lights to share out the use of the same space by allocating time for competing demands, eg drivers and pedestrians.

Report a problem

To report a problem with a crossing or traffic signal (traffic lights) contact Principal Traffic Engineer.

How to ask for a crossing or traffic signal

All crossings and traffic signals will cause delays to traffic but the delay caused may be justified if it reduces accidents or reduces delay to side road that otherwise would have no priority in joining a heavy flow of traffic (traffic signals). For these reasons we assess each case very carefully.

If you feel there is a problem that a pedestrian crossing could solve please contact us.

Are there any rules?

The delay that pedestrians (and cyclists) currently experience when attempting to cross the road needs to be significant and extend over a reasonable part of the day.

For traffic signals there are a lot of regualtions set out by Parliament that we need to satisfy.

Cost

There is no cost for requesting a possible placement of a pedestrian crossing.

How long does it take?

There is a lot of work to do in deciding if a crossing or traffic signals can be safely provided. We will need to:

• do surveys
• check accident records and decide if the overall benefits are worth the problems associated with having the crossing or traffic signals

If we feel that a crossing or traffic signals would be a good idea we also need to get councillors to allocate the money required. An initial decision should be possible within around four months

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that your request will eventually be implemented.